The ps2 had been sitting on my bedroom floor for many months now. It's been a while since I've turned it on, as I've been doing more pc gaming than console. When I walk around my room, grab clothes from my dresser, I pass by it. I give it a second glance from time to time, but I don't turn it on.
My room is silent in the darkness of night. No white noise, or clock ticking. I lay still and try to fall asleep. I force my eyes closed, trying to catch a few seconds of blessed rest, when something breaks through the silence. Some kind of ...grinding noise. Its easy to ignore though, and I fall into dreamless sleep.
Time passes. Days turn to nights and back into days. I still pass by the ps2 on my bedroom floor. I still hear that gnawing, grinding noise. A close friend of mine gave me a game that looks interesting. An original playstation game. It'll work fine in my ps2. I go to turn it on when a notice the black speck sitting in one of the plastic recesses. Its... a singular ant.
I give the device and insect an incredulous look, before picking up my ps2 and turning it around in my hands, inspecting for more critters. There isnt a second. The only ant is the one currently clinging on for dear life as i flip the console upside down. Surprised, I set the ps2 back down on the floor. The ant waves her antenna in my direction. Oddly I waved my hand back at her. She turns around, and heads deeper into my console after the interaction. I find it hard to care about the pest in my house.
A few nights later the grinding noise has once again caught my attention. This time however, I spring from my bed. I'm sure to not rustle the covers too much, and perk my ears to listen to the source of the sound. It leads me back to the ps2. In the dark of my bedroom I sit down, criss cross on the floor in front of the device. The floor is hard on my back and bottom, but I find it hard to care. I stayed there the entire night.
In the morning, I found my self still on the floor. I somehow managed to fall asleep in front of my ps2. As a blearily rubbed my eyes, I realised something tickled my nose. It was an ant. Or The Ant maybe. She sat at the very edge of my nose, where I had to cross my eyes to get a good look at her. She once again waved her antennae at me. They moved in slow purposful circles. Then She made her down the side of my nose and onto my philtrum. I held my breath, and told myself it was just because I was worried about blowing her away.
She continued her descent, before finally resting on my lip. Her little pin prick legs tickled my upper lip, sending an electric feeling to my chest. It had been a while since I'd been with anyone, but I could almost imagine those tiny footsteps were a kiss. She stopped there, not moving from her perch. I brought my fingers up to my lips then, and I felt her move onto my hand. When she was safely clung to the back of my index finger, I slowly lowered my hand to my ps2. She graciously leapt off then, and scurried back inside her plastic home. My fingers found their way back to my lips then, still savoring the feeling.
Another night. The grinding noise persists. I slept terribly the night before, but I could barely feel the fatigue. I once again made my way to the spot on my bedroom floor where the ps2 sits. This time I look a little closer however. Around the edges the plastic looks worn away, a paler color that meant it had been bent or scratched.
Then I noticed her. My Ant. Her tiny jaws worked away at the plastic case. It seemed obvious now what the noise that plagued me was. With this realization I climbed back in my bed. My pillow seemed more welcoming this time somehow, and sleep found me easily. The sounds of an insect hard at work lulling me to blissful rest.
I never did turn my ps2 back on. I was too worried about over heating her.
